Careers in Forensic Science

Directions: Forensic science is a broad topic that includes many specialists coming together in order to help solve a crime.
Conduct some research to learn about the many careers related to forensic science. Choose 5 forensic fields below that
interest you and fill out the three columns for each. (The first one has been done for you as an example.) When you are
finished, complete the reflection questions at the end. MAKE SURE TO USE YOUR OWN WORDS-DO NOT JUST COPY AND
PASTE FROM WEBSITES.

FORENSIC FIELD DEFINITION DUTIES AND REAL CASE EXAMPLES

Forensic involves investigating crimes within
Accounting the field of finance
Forensic Scientific tests are performed on
Toxicology bodily fluids and/or body tissue
samples to identify any drugs or
chemicals present in the body.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Forensic Accountants utilize accounting,
auditing and investigative skills when
conducting an investigation. They
respond to and communicate financial
information in a courtroom setting.
They examine financial evidence to
determine whether appropriate and
legal operating procedures have been
followed.
Forensic toxicologists use
instruments and methods to
perform tests on bodily fluids
and/or body tissue samples to
identify any drugs or chemicals that
are present in the body also to
In 1996, a city manager in CA
became suspicious when
Orinda-Moraga Disposal Services
wanted to raise rates on its
customers, since the company had
recently promised to lower rates.
He hired a forensic accountant to
uncover the truth. After examining
records, the forensics accountant
discovered that the company sent
checks to nonexistent people at
several companies that had fake
addresses. The disposal company's
owner deposited the checks into an
account. He had created these
companies to illegally steal money
from the company.
On September 10, 2010, a
4-year-old boy, Nicholas Odze,
was found unresponsive in his
bed by his father, Alan Odze.
Previously, his mother, Raisa
Bernabe, had given Lunesta, a
Careers in Forensic Science
determine the absences of specific
substances in the sample.
sedative prescription, to her
son being that he was having
difficulty falling asleep. Raisa
later reports that she found her
4-year-old son unconscious on
the bathroom floor with
numerous empty prescription
bottles surrounding the child.
Alan claims that all of the
prescriptions belonged to him
and that he told Raisa not to
give any to Nicholas. Looking at
all of the empty pill bottles,
Raisa was unsure of whether or
not her son took all the pills.
They then ordered a toxicology
test with the results showing
that there were traces of
oxycodone, oxymorphone,
ibuprofen, and eszopiclone
(Lunesta) present in the child’s
system. There was too high of a
dosage taken of the eszopiclone
which lowered the breathing
and metabolism of the child
and was fatal, which then led to
4-year-old Nicholas’ death.
 Careers in Forensic Science
Forensic The study of human remains;
Anthropology skeletal analysis and techniques
in archaeology are utilized to
help solve criminal cases.
Forensic Evidence relating to firearms at a
Ballistics crime scene is examined. This
includes the effects and behavior
of projectile and/or explosive
device(s).
Forensic Biology associates a person
Biology (suspect or victim) to an object,
location, and/or another person.
Forensic anthropologists study
human remains (skeletons) to help
determine the cause and solve
criminal cases.
Forensic ballistics experts examine
any evidence relating to a crime
scene that relates to firearms. This
examination consists of the effects
and behaviors of the projectile
and/or explosive device. The expert
then matches the fragments of the
evidence (such as bullets) to the
weapons associated with those who
are involved in the case.
Forensic biologists utilize biology to
associate a person (either suspect
or victim) to an object, location, or
another person involved in the case.
July 2008, 2-year-old Caylee
Anthony was reported missing.
December 2008, skeletal
remains were discovered in a
wooded area in Orlando,
Florida. The remains were sent
to forensic anthropologists.
After examination, it was
concluded that these remains
did in fact belong to 2-year-old
Caylee Anthony.
In 1961, a South Carolina taxi
driver named John Orner was
shot in the head, and later his
body was thrown over a cliff.
This case was left unsolved for
decades. Three weeks later, an
18-year-old soldier named
Edward Freiburger was
stopped and with him, he
carried a .32-caliber revolver
which was the same gun type
that killed John Orner. Due to
ballistic testing, the
investigators were able to tie
Edward Freiburger to John
Orner’s murder.
In January 1964, 19-year-old
Mary Sullivan moved from Cape
Cod to Boston. A few days later,
she was found unresponsive in
 Careers in Forensic Science
The information can be further used
in later investigations.
Forensic
Dentistry
her rented apartment raped,
and strangled to death. It was
concluded that she was
strangled by the Boston
Strangler also known as Albert
DeSalvo. However, DeSalvo was
never convicted for any
strangler cases which made the
investigators second guess this
decision, though he was
sentenced to a lifetime in
prison due to rape charges.
Soon he was stabbed to death
in prison leaving the Mary
Sullivan case unsolved. Later,
DeSalvo’s nephew was
contacted and was asked for
seminal fluid to see if it was a
match to the fluid found on
Mary’s body and blanket at the
crime scene. The results came
back as a match which
concluded and closed Mary
Sullivan’s case.

Forensic
Document
Examination
 Careers in Forensic Science
Forensic
Engineering

Forensic
Entomology

Forensic The cause of death is determined Forensic pathologists determine the
Pathology by the examination of the corpse. cause of death by examining the
corpse. During the examination,
evidence, such as tissue samples,
are collected and examined
throughout the rest of the
investigation.
Forensic
Artist
In November 2000, Leanne
Tiernan went missing as she
was walking home after
Christmas shopping with her
best friend. Her body was later
discovered by a man who was
walking in Lindley Woods in
August 2001. After a pathology
was performed, it was
concluded that her body was
not contained in the woods
since November 2001 but it
was kept somewhere at low
temperature.

Forensic
Psychology

Computer / IT
Forensics
Examination
 Careers in Forensic Science
Reflection Questions

1. Which career MOST interests you? Why?

The career that interests me most is probably forensic pathology. I am more of a hands-on person and really enjoy
learning and working with the human body. I think that it is so cool!

2. Which career LEAST interests you? Why?

Personally, there was not a career that I researched that I found the least interesting. I found all of these careers very
interesting and observant along with being also very hands-on!

3. Which career do you think you would be best suited for? Why?

Of the five careers that I researched, I believe that the career best suited for me would probably be as a forensic
pathologist. As a visual and kinesthetic learner, I think that this career would be best suited for me, the reason being that I
would be able to be more hands-on and observe things more visually.

4. Select two careers in the table above and describe how they are different from what you have seen on television or in
the media. Be specific.

The two careers that I selected were ballistics and anthropology.

- Ballistics: In reality, matching a bullet to a gun would be very time-consuming and take a long time whereas on
television a match comes back in an instant.
- Anthropology: In reality, human remains are usually very difficult to come across whereas on television a character
usually trips over the remains of a limb.

5. WHY do you think these careers are portrayed differently in television shows?
 Careers in Forensic Science
I think that these careers are portrayed differently in television shows reason being that rather than showing the reality
of these careers, which can sometimes be pretty dreadful, the directors wanted to speed the process up to keep the audience
hooked and entertained.